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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919300">Cherries, Dreams &amp; Gold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuliares/pseuds/Yuliares'>Yuliares</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Small Town, Big Dreams [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Animal Crossing New Horizons - Fandom, どうぶつの森 | Animal Crossing Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dreamers, Gen, Gods, Injury Recovery, Island life, Loyalty, Reuniting, beetles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:54:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919300</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yuliares/pseuds/Yuliares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ankha reunites with Lucky after many years, but finds him diminished from the Hound she once knew.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Small Town, Big Dreams [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cherries, Dreams &amp; Gold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She almost doesn’t notice him, so diminished in power that even after crossing paths multiple times, it wasn’t until their eyes met that she did a double-take, and looked deeper.</p><p>“You know me,” she says, but he just tilts his head and waves excitedly.</p><p>“You’re the new neighbor!” he agrees easily, and not at all how she meant. “My name is Lucky! What’s your name?”</p><p>“Ankha,” she says, still peering into his eye for the faint but familiar spark that glowed within it.</p><p>“You must be real good at staring contests,” he says. “That’s so cool.”</p><p><em> You were too, once, </em> she thinks. <em> What happened to you? </em></p><p>~</p><p>She knows what happened. She watched half his face get ripped off and swallowed, his enraged roar still echoing in her dreams, licked with fire and the bitter sting of defeat.</p><p>It’s strange to see his current form. A small dog, floppy ears, wrapped head to toe in bandages. One faintly glowing eye peeks out from his head wraps. He’s got a bright yellow t-shirt on, which reads “LA ISLA”. His attention is short, his gaze meandering, and last week she saw him doze off while watching a butterfly.</p><p>~</p><p>“Hello! What can I help you with?” chirps Isabelle, resting her paws on the resident services counter.</p><p>“Tell me about Lucky,” Ankha commands.</p><p>“Lucky? Well, um,” Isabelle wrinkles her nose. “He moved in just 2 months ago? Very nice, no problems at all here in the office, even if he is a little absent minded. We do worry about him, of course, with all his bandages. He’s a terrible clutz, you know, and he falls asleep on the park benches. You wouldn’t think he’d move around much, being so lazy, but his passport had so many stamps! He’s a world traveller, our Lucky.” She beams at Ankha. “If you want to be his friend, he loves snacks. Is there anything else I can help you with?”</p><p>Ankha wants to scold her for being a terrible gossip, but it’s served her purposes. “That is all,” she says, and then belatedly, “Thank you.”</p><p>Isabelle beams even harder. “You’re welcome, Miss Ankha!”</p><p><em> Dogs </em> , Ankha thinks, <em> So eager to please </em>. But even in her mind it lacks any real admonishment. She must be getting sentimental.</p><p>~</p><p>“Lucky,” she says the next time she sees him, staring up at a passing balloon. “Would you like to visit my home?”</p><p>“Oh, yes!” he says. “I’ve never seen inside your house before!”</p><p>“I know,” she murmurs, and waves down the path. “Follow me.”</p><p>When they get to her house, she opens the door for him, and locks it behind them. She’s learned that an unlocked door is an invitation for the neighbors to barge in.</p><p>“Oh, wow,” says Lucky. “You have a pyramid in your house? That’s so cool.”</p><p>She touches a paw to Lucky’s turned back. </p><p>“ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ,” she says, and he slumps forward immediately.</p><p>“ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ,” she calls again, and now beneath her paw he straightens and grows, tall as the ceiling, shifting to wrap around the pyramid, turning so that her paw now rests on a long, dark snout.</p><p>She leans forward to whisper in one black ear, “ⲁⲛⲟⲩⲡ,” and at last his eye opens up for her, pale and burning.</p><p>MY QUEEN, he sighs, the gust of his breath flapping her ears, and bows his head. Ⲟⲩⲃⲁⲥⲧⲉ. AT LAST.</p><p>“My loyal hound,” she says, the words high in her throat. “I wasn’t sure if I had lost you. Tell me what happened.”</p><p>I FOUGHT. I WON, BARELY. I FAILED TO FIND YOUR TRAIL, AND ENTERED THE DREAM TO HEAL AND CONSERVE MY POWER UNTIL I COULD RESUME MY SEARCH.</p><p>She strokes with both paws, gentle on his nose. “You were still searching for me. Your dreamer has travelled quite far.”</p><p>I DID NOT SENSE YOU, he says sadly. I AM STILL WEAK. I SHOULD HAVE–</p><p>“No,” says Ankha. “You did the right thing. There was no trail that you could follow, and you would have died as you were.” She resents the retreat – she could have let go of this body and moved on to the next, but that would have unravelled her Works, and left her foes unscathed.</p><p>Would have left her Hound masterless.</p><p>DO WE SEEK REVENGE?</p><p>“It has already been taken. My Work continued while I sheltered in Ulthar– cracks through their bones and rot through their flesh.” She bares her teeth. “Our foes won the battle, but I win the war. Though it has cost you dearly.”</p><p>The Hound nods once. </p><p>I HEAL IN THE DREAM, BUT IT IS SLOW.</p><p>“And your eye?” She looks to where the socket is hidden behind bandages. “Does it hurt?”</p><p>IT DOES NOT HURT. IT IS EMPTY AND DARK, AND SO IT IS EASY TO SLIDE INTO THE DREAM.</p><p>She nods. “What do you desire now?”</p><p>I DESIRE WHAT MY QUEEN DESIRES.</p><p>“Your Queen is content.”</p><p>THEN I WISH TO CONTINUE HEALING, THAT I MAY BETTER SERVE.</p><p>“Yes,” she agrees. “Are you able to guide your dreamer?”</p><p>YES, MY QUEEN. NOW THAT I KNOW YOU, I SHALL KEEP MY DREAMER CLOSE, IF YOU WILL PERMIT SUCH COMPANY.</p><p>“I am pleased to once more have you by my side, in whatever form that might take,” Ankha says firmly. “Return to your dreams and continue to heal, loyal Hound. I shall call on you when you are needed.”</p><p>YES, MY QUEEN, he rumbles, and with a deep sigh, slumps down and down until he is a once more a bumbling pup in a rumpled t-shirt, snoring gently.</p><p>She reaches out to touch his paw.</p><p>“Oh!” says Lucky, blinking and then blushing. “Did I fall asleep? I was up late last night...”</p><p>“I’m glad you find my home comforting,” says Ankha serenely. “But I find myself hungry. Would you give me a tour of the orchards, Lucky?”</p><p>Lucky’s eye brightens in excitement. “Can I! I know all the best places for fruit! Wait until you taste the cherries– they taste best right now!”</p><p>~</p><p>That night, Ankha carefully locks her door, draws the blinds, and hacks up the eyeball she keeps in her belly. It burns, too big for her throat, but she doesn’t trust keeping it anywhere else. She spits blood, gulps a glass of water, and then sits down to examine it.</p><p>It doesn’t look much different—it’s light is dim, but steady. Digging it out from the decaying belly of the beast had been risky, but hidden treasures had the annoying tendency to be found, and even a brief time in Ulthar had rejuvenated her.</p><p>When he is stronger, she will return it to its rightful place, filling the yawning socket where it can light and burn and throw back the darkness.</p><p>Until then, she will let her Hound dream.</p><p>~</p><p>She’s surprised to find island life enjoyable in its simplicity. There are no territory claims to navigate, no power struggles with scales to tip one way or another. Just lovely weather, fields of flowers, and perfectly ripe fruit. She sleeps in sun-warmed patches and basks in her most basic Self, purring when it pleases and distaining anything that doesn’t. She even has a personal bug collection, caught with her own two paws in nets she’s made, and she thinks there might be a special vein of power in that extra ownership.</p><p>Beetles—particularly scarabs—are her favorite. </p><p>They sparkle, golden like the sun, bright like burning eyes, and she has plans for them.</p><p>She also has social plans, and so she tucks a picnic basket under one arm and walks up the hill amidst the scent of daisies to knock on Lucky’s door. She lets herself in almost immediately after.</p><p>He’s fallen asleep again, but he wakes easily with a cupcake waved under his nose.</p><p>“Ankha!” Lucky says. “You came for a visit!”</p><p>“Yes,” she says, handing him the cupcake. “And I brought you a present. Will you take me cherry picking tomorrow?”</p><p>“Yes! Oh. Hey! The cherries were ripe when you first moved in!” Lucky grins. “You’ve been here a full year!”</p><p>“I have,” she says, smiling and seating herself at his table and carefully watching him remove the cupcake wrapper. <em> He’s sleeping lighter </em> , she thinks. <em> He used to eat the cupcake wrappers and not even notice. </em></p><p>“I guess I have too then,” Lucky says, popping the cupcake into his mouth and flopping onto the stool opposite her. “This island must be special. I usually get this itch to move to a new place before I see all the seasons. Mm, yum! Really yum!”</p><p>“Have another cupcake,” Ankha says, sliding it towards Lucky.</p><p>“Oh wow!” he says, excited, stubby tail thumping. “You’re, like, a really great friend.”</p><p>“Indeed,” she agrees, thoughtfully. <em> Another year, maybe two.  </em></p><p>Plenty of time to catch all the beetles she might need.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sure there are lots of takes on the relationship between Ankha and Lucky, but I wanted to share my own. I hope you enjoyed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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